Stave-jointer.



J. H. SIMMONS.

STAVE JOINTER APPLIOATION FILED MAR. s. 1910.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. H. SIMMONS.

STAVE JOINTER.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. a, 1910.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SEEET 2.

JOHN H. SIMMONS, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

STAVE-JOINTER.

aeaoae.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 14, rear.

Application filed March 3, 1910. Serial No. 547,134.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HENRY SIM- MONS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Stave-Jointer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stave jointing machines of that type shown in Letters Patent No. 860,109, granted to me July 16, 1907, and its object is to provide improved means whereby fluid under pressure can be utilized for actuating the knife of the machine, the fluid controlling valve being provided with cooperating ports whereby the actuating piston will be cushioned and thus brought to a gradual stop during its movement in one direction.

Another object is to provide improved means for controlling the operation of the valve.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the piston and its cylinder and showing the adjacent parts partly in section and partly in elevation. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2, the treadle and its support ing bracket being removed. Fig. 4 is a section on line A-B Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section through a modified form of valve casing and valve.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates standards or legs connected at their upper ends by a cross beam 2 and provided at their lower ends with supporting sills 3 to which they are bolted or otherwise rigidly secured. Vertically movable slides 4 are guided by and between the upper end portions of the standards and a knife 5 is secured to and carried by these slides. Connecting rods 6 are pivotally attached to the lower ends of the slides and ex tend downwardly therefrom and are attached to the ends of a cross head 7 by means of which motion is imparted to the rods 6 and through the same to the slides so as to raise and lower the knife and thereby perform the desired operations. An evener 8 is provided below the knife and is carried by the upper ends of rods 9 which are pivotally mounted on a shaft 10 carried by a cross bar or beam 11 extending between and secured to the legs or standards 1. These parts perform the functions set forth with reference to similar parts in my patent heretofore mentioned and further detailed reference thereto is not deemed necessary.

angle iron 12 is secured to the legs or standards 1 below the beam 11 and is preferably extended parallel with the beam. The middle portion of this iron 12 is bolted or otherwise secured to an angular bracket or extension 13 formed upon or secured to a cylinder 14. Another bracket or extension 15 is formed on the upper end of the cylinder and is bolted or otherwise secured to the angle iron 11 heretofore referred to and as clearly shown in Fig. 2. It will be apparent therefore that the cylinder 14 will thus be rigidly supported relative to the legs or standards 1.

The wall of the cylinder 14 is thickened at one side as indicated at 16 and has a. six way valve 17 mounted for rotation therein, there being an inlet port 18 for directing steam or other fluid under pressure to the valve and oppositely extending ports 19 and 20 extending from the valve and to the end portions of the cylinder. Exhaust ports 21 extend from the cylinder to the valve, these ports being located at about one-quarter the distance from each end of the cylinder. The valve is designed to direct the fluid from either of the ports 21 to the discharge port or opening 22.

An arm 23 is secured to and moves with the valve 17, and this arm is adapted to be actuated in the manner hereinafter set forth.

Steam, compressed air, or other fluid under pressure is admitted to the inlet port 18 through a feed pipe 24 which may be connected with a steam boiler, air compressor or other source of supply. A lubricator 25 is mounted upon this feed pipe 24 so that lubricant may be drawn through the same into the cylinder with the operating medium and thus lubricate the piston and thereby facilitate the movement thereof. In order to permit the feed pipe to follow any necessary course without being bent or broken, a swiveled coupling 26 may be employed and the operation thereof will be readily understood. 7

Hangers 27 are secured to the lower face of the beam 12 and are connected at their lower ends by a base 28. These hangers constitute guides for the cross heads 7 and the base 28 supports a bracket 29 on which is fulcrumed an actuating treadle 30. This treadle is connected at one end by means of a rod 31, to the arm 23 and the other end of the treadle has a foot plate 32 thereon. A bracket 33 extends forward from the base 28 and over the treadle 30, this bracket being connected to the treadle by a spring 3 1 which serves to hold the front end of the treadle normally elevated and the valve 17 normally positioned to direct fluid from the pipe 24 to the port 20.

A piston 35 is located within the cylinder 14, and is connected, by means of a rod 36, with the cross head 7.

WVhen it is desired to trim the staves or perform any other cutting operation, the treadle 30 is depressed so as to swing the arm 23 upwardly and turn the valve 17 to place the port 18 in communication with the port 19. The fluid under pressure will thus be. admitted through the port to the upper end of the cylinder and will consequently act upon the upper end of the piston so as to force the said piston downward, thereby driving the cross head 7 in a downward direction and causing it topull upon the connecting rods 6. The knife 5 will therefore be drawn downward across the work. Upon releasing the treadle the spring 3 1 will at once return it to its initial position and this will cause the valve to also be returned to its initial position and with the ports 18 and 20 registering and the upper port 21 communicating with the outlet opening 22. The fluid under pressure will thus pass into the lower end of the cylinder so as to force the piston upward and thereby raise the knife and other parts connected thereto. The upward movement of the piston will be brought to a gradual stop during the last portion thereof because as soon as the piston passes the upper port 21 it becomes impossible for any air or steam to escape and the same therefore becomes trapped and acts as a cushion. During the down movement of the piston a portion of the motive fluid is also trapped and thus cushions the piston so as to prevent it from striking the end of the cylinder with great force. It is to be understood however that the cutting operation is performed by the knife before this cushioning action occurs. Attention is directed to the fact that in this machine the knife is not raised by springs which are apt to be broken or to lose their efliciency, but is positively moved in bot-h directions by the operating fluid. The cylinder is rigidly supported by means of the connections described so that the vibrations due to the operation of the machine will not loosen the cylinder and thus permit a leakage of the operating fluid and consequently impair the etliciency of the mechanism.

The several parts are compactly arranged and the piston acts directly on the cross heads connected with the knife so that the working force is all expended in the cutting operation and is not lost in moving intermediate connections. While the machine has been shown and described as applied to a stave jointing knife, it is to be understood that it may also be used in connection with paper cutting devices. Moreover by utilizmg suitable connections for transmitting motion from the cross head, the device can be employed for actuating baling presses and other structures. There used for this purpose one or more levers are preferably connected to the cross head as indicated at 37, the said levers operating connecting rods 38 which may be attached,to-the mechanism to be actuated. Each lever 37 is designed to be mounted at one end upon a fixed pivot while the other end thereof is attached to and moves with the cross head 7. 1

If preferred, and as shown in Fig. 5, the valve 39 may be mounted wlthin a casing 40 separate from the cyl1nder, the said casing being provided with ports similar to those v heretofore referred to, and the various ports being connected to corresponding ports in the cylinder by means of pipes 41.

It is to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

hat is claimed is 1. A stave jointing machine including standards, a knife mounted for sliding movement therebetween, cross members se cured to the standards, a cylinder, angular brackets upon one head and wall of the cyl inder and engaging and secured to said members, a piston mounted for movement within the cylinder, hangers depending from one of the cross members and connected at their lower ends, a cross head mounted to slide between the hangers, a connection between said cross head and the piston, connections between the cross head and the knife, and means for controlling the operation of the piston.

2. A stave jointing machine including standards, a knife mounted for reciprocation between the standards, cross beams connecting the standards, a cylinder, a bracket upon one head of the cylinder and secured.

to one of the beams, a bracket upon one wall of the cylinder and secured to the other beam, hangers depending from one of said beams, a base connecting the hangers, a

cross head mounted for reciprocation between the hangers, a piston connected to and adapted to actuate the cross head, a valve,

I manually operated means for shifting the valve out of its normal position to direct motive fluid in the other end of the piston.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

J. H. SIMMONS. lVitnesses:

LEE HARRIS, L. S. MILLIKIn. 

